MURDER CHARGE.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIII, Issue 226, 23 September 1932, Page 5

MURDER CHARGE.

TRAGEDY AT NEW PLYMOUTH. JEPSON AGAIN REMANDED. HEARING ON WEDNESDAY NEXT. (By Telegraph.—Press Association.) NEW PLYMOUTH, this day. Hubert Cedric Jepson appeared on remand before Mr. R. W. Tate, S.M., to-day, charged with the murdar of hie wife, Lilian Violet Jepson, on September 15. On the application of the police he was again remanded till September 28. At 0.30 on the morning of Thursday, September 15, Hubert Cedric Jepson, aged .39, an unemployed man, eurrendered himself at the police station, and said that he had murdered his wife and children. The police went to his home in Frankley Road and there found his wife and an infant son both dead. These were:—Mrs. Lilian Violet Jepson, aged 37, and John Robert Jepson. aged 18 months. The other son, Richard Cedric Jepson, aged 12, was suffering from a badly fractured skull. He was taken to hospital and died early the eame afternoon. The bodies were found in bed. All had severe head injuries, and indications were that they were struck with a heavy weapon while asleep. It was stated that Jepson had been worrying over his own position and that of his family. He had only been in intermittent employment during recent years. The crime was believed to have been committed about six o'clock in the morning, without any commotion to cauee alarm in the neighbourhood There was no sign of a struggle in the house. Jepson and his wife were a quiet couple and known to be very devoted to each other. Mrs. Jepson was an Englishwoman, and married Jepson while he was on active service during the war. Jepeon, who is a native of Australia, came to New Zealand in 1911, and wae employed some years ago by the New Plymouth Borough Council.